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Overview

Unique Operations Research Program

Northeastern University's program in operations research is offered jointly by the Departments of Mathematics and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Students working through the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) design their own individualized courses of study that is tailored to their interests and experience. The department uses its world-renowned faculty to ensure that each student achieves excellence in both professional and technical skills.

The Department of Mathematics offers its students many opportunities to learn both inside and outside of the traditional classroom environment. The department offers students opportunities to participate in workshops at affiliated institutions, such as with the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, California. Additional opportunities include participating in numerous seminars and colloquia both on campus and in the surrounding community.

Master's Degree in Operations Research

Northeastern's Departments of Mathematics and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering jointly offer a Master of Science (MS) degree in Operations Research (MSOR). The program guides students toward careers in a wide variety of fields, from supply chain operations to finance and health care. Students are taught to use the analytical skills and industry knowledge required to solve issues related to mathematical and computer models of systems.

Students interested in pursuing this degree may apply for admission in either of the 2 departments, and complete the degree from the college in which they are enrolled. This flexibility allows students the unique opportunity to balance their interests and experience to create individualized courses of study.

Electives are available in 5 categories and students are not limited to any category for their individual degree programs. Examples of electives available include Component Software Development, Human Factors Engineering, and Combinatorial Analysis. Northeastern does not offer a PhD in Operations Research, but the MIE department offers the PhD in Industrial Engineering for students interested in pursuing their degrees past the master's level.

Access to Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Laboratories

Many of the Northeastern University's interdisciplinary research initiatives have created collaborations among biologists, chemists, engineers, geologists, mathematicians, physicists, and physicians that have lead to solutions and innovations in many areas of research, from tumor detection to soil remediation. Research initiatives through the operations research program have continued to further this atmosphere of collaboration.

The mathematics and MIE departments support a number of state-of-the-art laboratories and research centers. The MIE department runs 8 laboratories and 2 additional research centers, including the Virtual Environments Laboratory. The mathematics department has access to an additional 9 centers operated through the College of Science, including the Center for Complex Network Research (CCNR). Past research projects have covered a wide range of interests related to operations research, including time dependent truck routing and statistical process control.

Supported by Faculty Members who are Leaders in their Fields

The faculty members associated with the operations research program are from both the Departments of Mathematics and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, but all are dedicated to producing excellence in scholarship and research. For instance, the MIE department's Dr. Yingzi Lin currently directs Northeastern's Intelligent Human-Machine Systems Laboratory and co-directs the Virtual Environments Laboratory. She has received 9 career awards and honors and has held a number of professional appointments during her career.

Faculty research interests cover a wide range of topics related to operations research. For instance, the math department's Associate Professor Mark Ramras works in several areas of graph theory that are of interest in computer science and operations research. Dr. Ramras's work in hypercube networks has been influential in the development of parallel processing supercomputers. Additional topics of interest include boundary detection in a variational framework, neural networks, and knowledge-based systems.

Financial Aid Opportunities

The financial aid office at Northeastern University is committed to helping students find the funds needed to complete their educations, including helping Boston residents find more than $10.5 million in financial assistance each year. In addition to federal loans and grants, Northeastern offers graduate students a number of departmental research and teaching assistantships.

Additional graduate student resources include the Double Husky Scholarship for students with a bachelor's from Northeastern; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Graduate Fellowship for African-American students with solid academics and financial need; and the Graduate Dean's Scholarship for students in the top third of their incoming classes.

Northeastern University -- An Experiential Research University

Northeastern University was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1898. Now considered one of the nation's premier experiential research universities, Northeastern offers students access to more than 30 centers that support collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Many of the nearly 170 graduate programs on campus are also involved with the university's cooperative education program, which provides students with opportunities to integrate professional, real-world experiences with traditional coursework in order to create a comprehensive education.

Because of Northeastern's main focus on sustainability, the university has been recognized as one of the most climate conscious universities in the nation. The Sustainable Endowments Institute has awarded the university the highest score among Boston-based universities on their 2011 College Sustainability Report Card.